The Lonely Road
by nemesis1807
Summary: Grovyle emerges from the Time Tunnel in the past and fears for the fate of his lost, human partner, Sol. One shot.


**This is just a one-shot for now, though I may decide to expand it in the future. It's a sort of companion piece to my other fic ****Sol of the Mystery Dungeon****, but you definitely don't need to read that to understand this, since they both start at just about the same time.**

Nothing Celebi could have said would have prepared Grovyle for this. They were spinning around in tight circles, around and around at terrifying speeds. Their surroundings was nothing more than a swirling mass of black and dark blue, sometimes interspersed with the odd splash of purple and grey. They were falling, rising, going right, going left, all at the same time yet also not moving at all. With no reference point to cling on to, Grovyle found the Time Tunnel both confusing and terrifying.

But Sol, his human friend, seemed to be having the time of her life. A huge grin was plastered on her face without a trace of nervousness or fear. They spun together in a circle, clasping hands to stay together. This allowed Grovyle a clear view of her expression of joy, while she saw his terror. She laughed and her grin widened.

"After everything, _this_ is what has you scared?" she asked.

"Says the one who faces vicious Sableye without blinking but pales at the thought of crossing a river," Grovyle shot back.

"Now that's a low blow," Sol laughed, her smile never fading.

Then Grovyle saw it. A vague shadow of… something, behind Sol's shoulder. Just as suddenly as it had appeared it was gone. Sol screamed in pain and one of her hands was ripped from Grovyle's.

"Sol!" Grovyle cried. "Are you all right?"

"I… I don't know," she stammered, her face turning unnaturally pale. "Something's wrong, I can't-"

She was slipping away. Grovyle desperately tried to keep his grip, but inch by inch she was being pulled from his grasp.

"Hold on! We're almost there!"

"I can't!"

She slipped another inch. Her eyes, bright blue with strange, ovular irises, locked with his yellow. And then she was gone, torn from his grip.

"No!" he screamed.

Then there was a brilliant flash of white and Grovyle was thrown from the Time Tunnel. He landed with a squish on soaked grass. Rain pounded down in heavy sheets and lightning flashed across the dark night sky.

"Sol!" Grovyle screamed and jumped to his feet. He was completely alone in a small clearing surrounded by trees. His human partner was nowhere to be seen.

"Sol!" Grovyle cried again and tore through the trees and foliage. Thunder boomed, causing him to flinch but he didn't let up his search. He was much more afraid of Sol being hurt than of any storm. He didn't care how wet he became or how cold it was. He searched in an ever widening circle centered around the clearing. He didn't stop for hours until, eventually, he was forced to find shelter.

Grovyle huddled underneath a leafy tree that shielded him from the worst of the rain. He stared out into the night and could only hope that Sol managed to find somewhere safe to hide out.

Grovyle had never been in a storm before. There were no changing weather patterns on a paralyzed planet. It was terrifying. Water fell from the sky, the air moved and howled around him, and bolts of electricity arced through the sky. Grovyle grew even more worried. What if Sol was out there, lost and alone? What if she was hurt?

And to think, Grovyle had been excited to come to the past. The way Sol had described it… It had sounded so wonderful, a happy, carefree place where people didn't live in constant fear. A world where you didn't have to go hungry, where life flourished, a world filled with vibrant colour… a world worth dying for.

But this was horrible. It was so cold, the thunder so loud, everything sodden from the rain. But the worst was the worry that gnawed at Grovyle. If only he knew where Sol was, it she was ok. Then this wouldn't be bad at all.

Eventually the rain died down to a soft patter. It was still dark, but Grovyle was used to that. Darkness was all that he knew. He had been born in darkness, raised in darkness, lived in darkness, and he had fully expected to die in darkness.

He made the journey back to the clearing he had arrived in. He searched for clues, for any sign that Sol had been there. He closely inspected the mud for human footprints. If there ever were any they had been washed away in the rain. He searched but came up with nothing. He was about to leave when he saw something white poking out from a nearby bush at the clearing's edge.

He pulled it out and felt a sinking in his stomach when he realized it was Sol's staff. Long and narrow, made of a pale, unknown wood. He twisted the mechanism at its center and narrow metal blades emerged at its ends with a 'snick'. He twisted them back inside.

Sol never would have let this go. It was her most prized possession. She didn't even like other people touching it. If this was here…

No. Grovyle couldn't let himself think like that. Sol was out there, somewhere. If anyone could survive out here on their own, it was Sol.

The sky was beginning to lighten. Grovyle didn't turn to watch. He gripped the staff tightly in his hands and squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back tears. They had both made a promise to each other. Both Grovyle and Sol had agreed that the sun would be the best part of the past, and the first sunrise they promised they would watch together.

For a long time Grovyle didn't move. The sun rose a little higher in the sky until Grovyle finally turned to look. He couldn't see it very well. Most of it was hidden by the trees and the rest was obscured by a thick covering of clouds. All he could make out was a vague lightening of an area of clouds, not the bright, golden disk he was expecting.

"I'm sorry, Sol," Grovyle whispered and looked down at the staff.


End file.
